Brian Burres (born April 8, 1981) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. Burres' best pitch is his

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

. He also has a high 80s-low 90 MPH

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...

and a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, and in the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL) for the

Lamigo Monkeys The Rakuten Monkeys (), formerly known as La New Bears (2004–2010) and Lamigo Monkeys (2011–2019), are a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. Owned and administered by the Japanese technol ...

High school and collegiate career

Burres attended Sam Barlow High School in

Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city in the Willamette Valley, Located in Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon, bordered by Portland to the northwest and partially in the southwest. It was first settled in the early 1850s by the Powell brothers. It ...

, where he was named both Conference Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in 1999, as well as a first team all state outfielder. Burres went on to play at

Mount Hood Community College Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) is a public community college in Gresham, Oregon, United States, named after Mount Hood. Opened in 1966, MHCC enrolls around 30,000 students each year and offers classes at the main campus in Gresham, as well as ...

, being drafted by the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

after one year.

Professional career

San Francisco Giants

Burres was originally drafted by the

in the 31st round (931st overall) of the 2000 MLB draft. He was in the Giants' system for three years. Following the 2005 season, the Giants signed utility

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

José Vizcaíno. They made room for Vizcaíno on the roster by designating Burres for assignment. He pitched for the

Connecticut Defenders The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 ...

prior to being designated. He was later released.

Baltimore Orioles

On January 6, 2006, Burres was claimed off waivers by the

. He never cleared waivers, so the Orioles released him. Six days later, he was assigned to the Triple-A

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Exp ...

. On September 8, 2006, Burres made his major league debut with the Orioles, allowing two earned runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. He spent most of the 2006 season with Triple-A Ottawa, going 10–6 with a 3.76 ERA in 26 starts with the Lynx. He was promoted to the Orioles for most of the 2007 season, finishing the season 6–8 with a 5.95 ERA in 37 games (17 starts). Burres was named the fifth starter in the Orioles rotation to open the 2008 season, after a competition in

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

with teammate

Matt Albers Matthew James Albers (born January 20, 1983) is an Americans, American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indi ...

. On February 2, , Burres was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

to make room on the roster for Rich Hill.

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 4, 2009, Burres was claimed by the

. Burres spent spring training 2009 with Toronto, and was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. With Toronto dealing with early-season injuries to several pitchers, Burres was recalled to the majors by the Jays on April 24, 2009, and made his first appearance for Toronto the next day, starting on the road against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. He wound up as the losing pitcher, but held the White Sox to two runs through the first four innings, before struggling in the fifth inning, when he left the game. Jays' manager

Cito Gaston Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston (; born March 17, 1944) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and manager. His major league career as a player lasted from 1967 to 1978, most notably with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Brave ...

stated that Burres would remain in the rotation until several of Toronto's injured pitchers make their return to active duty.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 4, 2010, Burres signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. On April 12, the Pirates selected Burres' contract, adding him to their active roster. In 20 games (13 starts) for Pittsburgh, he compiled a 4-5 record and 4.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts across innings pitched. On December 2, the Pirates non-tendered Burres, making him a free agent. On January 3, 2011, Burres re-signed with the Pirates on a new minor league contract. He had his contract selected on September 1. In 5 games (2 starts) for Pittsburgh, Burres logged a 3.86 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 14 innings of work. On October 31, Burres was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

, but he rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

San Francisco Giants (second stint)

On January 18, 2012, Burres returned to his original team, the

, signing a minor league contract that included an invite to spring training. In 22 starts split between the rookie-level

Arizona League Giants The Arizona Complex League Giants are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Scottsdale Stadium in Sc ...

and Triple-A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

, he accumulated a 4-6 record and 5.13 ERA with 73 strikeouts across innings pitched. Burres elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Lamigo Monkeys

On February 4, 2013, after little interest from MLB and NPB teams, Burres signed with the

of the

. In 20 starts for the Monkeys, he posted a 9-5 record and 3.49 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 121+1⁄3 innings pitched. He was released on August 28.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

On March 31, 2014, Burres signed with the

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Base ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 9 starts for the Blue Crabs, he posted a 3-2 record and 1.64 ERA with 31 strikeouts across innings pitched. Burres became a free agent following the season.

Colorado Rockies

On June 13, 2014, Burres signed a minor league contract with the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (second stint)

On March 24, 2015, Burres signed with the

of the

. In 26 games (23 starts) for Southern Maryland. he compiled an 8-9 record and 3.98 ERA with 104 strikeouts across innings pitched. Burres re-signed with the Blue Crabs on April 5, 2016. In 28 appearances (27 starts) for the team, he registered an 11-9 record and 3.33 ERA with 139 strikeouts over innings of work. Burres became a free agent after the season.

Coaching career

On January 11, 2023, Burres was hired by the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

to serve as an assistant coach for their High-A affiliate, the

Fort Wayne TinCaps The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The TinCaps compete in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Parkview Field. The TinCaps won the ...

. On March 15, 2024, he was named the pitching coach for the team's rookie-level affiliate, the

Arizona Complex League Padres The Arizona Complex League Padres or ACL Padres are a Minor League Baseball team based in Peoria, Arizona. The Padres compete in the Arizona Complex League as a rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Peori ...

. On January 17, 2025, Burres was promoted to serve as the manager of the Single-A

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team based in Lake Elsinore, California. The Storm compete in the California League as the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond, w ...

Personal life

Brian has an identical twin brother, Greg, who resides in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. Brian is the son of Nancy and Kirk, and has two other brothers, Kevin and Patrick. Brian married Lacy on the July 14, 2014, episode of '' Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta''. Brian competes every year in the prestigious “Battle for the Boot” golf tournament held at Bandon Dunes and has won four times (2012, 2016, 2022, 2023).

References

External links

, o
CPBL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burres, Brian 1981 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Arizona League Giants players Baltimore Orioles players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Fresno Grizzlies players Hagerstown Suns players Indianapolis Indians players Lamigo Monkeys players Las Vegas 51s players Major League Baseball pitchers Mesa Solar Sox players Mt. Hood Saints baseball players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Norfolk Tides players Norwich Navigators players Ottawa Lynx players Pittsburgh Pirates players Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players San Jose Giants players Southern Maryland Blue Crabs players Sportspeople from Oregon City, Oregon Baseball players from Clackamas County, Oregon Toronto Blue Jays players